title: Reduced detection and levels of protective antibodies to hepatitis B vaccine in under 2-year-old HIV positive South African children at a paediatric outpatient clinic.
abstract: The study evaluated and compared the prevalence of anti-HBs and exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vaccinated South African babies aged between 5 and 24 months from the Expanded Programme on Immunisation clinic [EPI group] and paediatric outpatient clinic [OPD group], and results were stratified by HIV status. A total of 303 (243 EPI group and 60 OPD group) babies were studied. All sera were tested for anti-HBs, HBsAg and anti-HBc, while IgM anti-HBc and HBV DNA were only tested in samples positive for HBsAg and/or anti-HBc. Overall, there was a gross difference in the prevalence of anti-HBs marker between the EPI and OPD groups. The EPI group demonstrated higher levels of seroconversion (89.3% vs. 81.7%; p=0.105) and seroprotection rates (86.0% vs. 75.0%; p=0.038), compared to the OPD babies. When the overall results were stratified by HIV status, seroprotection was 85.7% for the HIV-negatives and 78.1% for the HIV-positives, although this was not statistically significant (p=0.125). The seroprotection rates were almost comparable between the HIV-positives (84.3%; n=51) and the HIV-negatives (86.5%; n=192) (p=0.695) in the EPI group. In contrast, reduced seroprotection rates were observed between the HIV-positives (63.6%; n=22) and HIV-negatives (81.6%; n=38) in the OPD group, although this was not statistically significant (p=0.123). Interestingly, no HBsAg or anti-HBc marker was detected in the OPD group, compared to total exposure rate of 4.9% (HBsAg carriage was 1.2%) in the EPI group.
authors.affiliation: HIV and Hepatitis Research Unit, Department of Virology, University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Omphile E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Simani
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leroux-Roels
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: Rosemary J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meheus
authors.forename: M Jeffrey
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mphahlele
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines